Dec. 19, 2007
Delaware State Game Notes in PDF Format
ABOUT THE LADY MONARCHS:The Lady Monarchs have had 15 days off since its 83-51 setback to the top team in the nation. Old Dominion is looking to return to the win column following a loss to Tennessee that snapped a three-game win streak that included wins over ranked squads from Purdue and Michigan State along with a Penn State team receiving votes in the national polls. Junior Tiffany Green led the Lady Monarchs with a season-high 14 points against the Lady Vols, while junior Jazzmin Walters and freshman Shadasia Green each captured 10 points apiece for season-high marks as well. Senior guard and Lady Monarch leading scorer T.J. Jordan sat out the game against Tennessee two weeks ago with a stress reaction in her left foot. Jordan has been listed as day-to-day. Jordan continues to lead the team at 16.9 points per game followed by sophomore Jessica Canady at 9.6 points per contest. Third-leading scorer Tiffany Green is pouring in 8.9 points per game along with a team-leading 7.4 rebounder per game.
ABOUT DELAWARE STATE:The Delaware State Hornets are looking to snap a three-game skid when they enter the Ted Constant Convocation Center on Thursday. The Hornets are 3-6 overall with victories over Princeton (63-62) in overtime, St. Peter's (72-57), and Amry (63-49). Delaware State opened the season taking on Delaware in the Preseason WNIT falling 47-57. Senior guard/forward Raquel Collier is one of two Hornets averaging double figures at 13.8 points per game. Senior forward Katreem Palmer is second on the stat sheet at 12.8 points per game. Sophomore center Thea Littlepage leads Delaware State on the boards averaging 8.8 rebounds per game.
COMPARE AND CONTRAST:
ODU - DSU
69.0 - Scoring - 58.2
.398 - Field Goal Percentage - .342
.338 - 3PT Field Goal Percentage - .267
.606 - Free Throw Percentage -.622
38.7 - Rebounds Per Game - 37.6
14.8 - Assists Per Game - 9.0
19.6 - Turnovers Per Game - 15.6
13.1 - Steals Per Game - 13.6
4.1 - Blocks Per Game - 2.7
SERIES WITH DELAWARE STATE:Thursday will mark the second meeting between the Lady Monarchs and Hornets. Last season, the two teams met at the Constant Center on November 25th with Old Dominion earning a 57-46 victory to give head coach Wendy Larry her 450th win as head coach of the Old Dominion women's program.
LAST TIME VS. DELAWARE STATE:Old Dominion head women's basketball coach Wendy Larry earned her 450th win as head coach of the Lady Monarch program and moved to within one game of collecting her 500th career win as Old Dominion defeated Delaware State, 57-46, at the Ted Constant Convocation Center on November 25, 2006. T.J. Jordan and former Lady Monarch Sherida Triggs led Old Dominion with 12 points each. Tay Ransburg had all her nine points in the second half, while Tiffany Green also netted nine in the victory.Old Dominion never trailed in the contest. Back-to-back three pointers by Jordan gave the Lady Monarchs a 27-12 lead with 4:51 left in the first half. The 15-point edge would be Old Dominion's largest as the Hornets began to chip away at the lead late in the first half and continued to close the gap in the second. Over the final 4:51 of the first half, Delaware State held Old Dominion without field goal, only allowing the Lady Monarchs to capture two more points coming from the line. The Hornets closed out the first half on a 10-2 run, only letting Jessica Canady hit two free throws during the span. Old Dominion held on to a 29-22 lead at the half. Old Dominion came out of the locker room and after missing their first two shots at the rim, Triggs collected the rebound and was fouled. Her traditional three-point play pushed the Lady Monarch lead to 10 with Old Dominion ahead 32-22. However a 10-point lead quickly became only a two-point lead three minutes later. Delaware State proceeded to take a 9-1 run, which was helped by Old Dominion's performance from the line. During the Hornet run, the Lady Monarchs got to the free throw line four times, but only connected on one attempt. A Jordan three helped stop the drought and Delaware State would get no closer than trailing 36-33 with 15:09 remaining. Ahead 39-35 with the clock reading 11:11, the Lady Monarchs held the Hornets scoreless over the next four and half minutes while rattling off eight unanswered points. Ransburg capped the ODU run with two of her nine second half points to return a double figure edge back to the Lady Monarchs. Old Dominion went ahead 47-35 at the 6:58 mark and kept a double digit advantage over Delaware State for almost the rest of the way.
IN ATTENDANCE TODAY:Old Dominion athletics would like to welcome over 1,000 Norfolk Public Elementary School childer to Thursday's game to cheer on the Lady Monarchs. The boys and girls are from: Willard, Tanners Creek, Richard Bowling, Willoughby, Chesterfield Academy, Larchmont, Norview, St. Helena, Poplar Hall, W.H. Taylor, and Sewell's Point.
HELLO TOP 25:The Lady Monarchs returned to the Top 25 in the Associated Press Poll for week four following their upset victory over Michigan State on December 2. Old Dominion was ranked at No. 24 and makes its first appearance in the AP Poll since the final poll of the 2002 season when the Lady Monarchs finished 15th and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
STILL IN THE TOP 25:The Lady Monarchs dropped a spot to No. 25 following its loss to top-ranked Tennessee on December 5th. Old Dominion remains at No. 25 for the second straight week following an idle week.
ANOTHER 25 MOMENT: Old Dominion is currently ranked 25th nationally according to the unofficial Division I women's basketball attendance list compiled by the University of Wisconsin. The Lady Monarchs have had 13,311 fans come through the turnstiles in four home games thus far in the 2007-08 season for an average of 3,333 people per game.
TV TIME:Old Dominion's contest at Kentucky will be aired by Fox Sports South and was recently added to the line-up at WSKY-4 in the Hampton Roads area. The game is following Thursday's Delaware State game, tipping off on Friday, December 28th at 7:00 p.m.
WAY TO START:The Lady Monarchs opened the 2007-08 season with a 6-2 overall mark. Among the six victories are wins over two ranked teams in Purdue and Michigan State as well as conference champions from the Sun Belt (Middle Tennessee) and Conference USA (East Carolina). Both losses happened against team ranked in the top four at the time of play - UConn & Stanford. It is the best start for the Lady Monarchs since the 1999-2000 season when Old Dominion opened up the year 7-1.
THREE IN A ROW AGAINST THE BIG 10:Old Dominion made it back-to-back-to-back victories over the BIG 10. The Lady Monarchs returned from a 66-53 upset win over then No. 22/20 Purdue at the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, only to return home to see two more BIG 10 squads. Old Dominion then proceeded to down Penn State, 77-49, and upset then No. 19/20 Michigan State, 79-73.
HEIR JORDAN:Senior guard T.J. Jordan led Old Dominion to a pair of victories over Penn State and No. 20/19 Michigan averaging 19.0 points and 4.0 assists per game to be named the Colonial Athletic Association Co-Player of the Week for the week ending December 2. It was the Lady Monarchs first weekly conference award of the year. After the Lady Lions held Jordan scoreless in the first half, she lit up the court for 14 second half points to end as the game's leading scorer. Jordan's 14 points helped her surpass the 1,200 career point mark. She followed with a game-high 24 points in ODU's upset over #19/20 Michigan State. It was her second 20 + point effort of the season and 14th of her career. Jordan leads Old Dominion averaging 16.9 points per game.
20/20:Old Dominion had two score 20 or more points in the upset win over Michigan State. Senior guard T.J. Jordan led all scorers with 24 points in her second 20+ point performance of the year and the 14th of her career. Junior forward/center Tiffany Green posted 20 points to tie her career mark. Green also poured in 20 points against CAA rival William & Mary her freshman year in January of 2005.
CAN'T KEEP A GOOD LADY MONARCH DOWN:Penn State managed to keep Old Dominion leading scorer T.J. Jordan from hitting a bucket in the first half, but Jordan got revenge in half number two. The senior guard lit up the floor for a game-high 14 points all coming in the second half of action.
OPPONENT HIGH, ODU LOW:Penn State turned the ball over 30 times resulting in 28 points in the Lady Monarchs' 77-49 victory over the Lady Lions. The 30 turnovers were the most for an ODU opponent this season. Conversely, the Lady Monarchs committed only 12 turnovers, a season low for the team.
GREENING UP THE ROSTER:Freshman Shadasia Green, not to be confused with the other Green in senior Tiffany Green, posted some of her highest numbers of the season in the victory over Penn State. Green tied her then-high in points with eight, field goals made with four, field goals attempted with five, and minutes played with 13. She also stole the ball three times for another career mark.
BEEN AWHILE...:Old Dominion met up with some foes they haven't' seen for awhile at the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas over Thanksgiving...but sure do have some memories from the last time they played. The first game featured Connecticut and was the first the Lady Monarch took on the Huskies since the 2002 Elite Eight match-up. When Old Dominion took the court for the second game of the tournament, it was the first time the Lady Monarchs and Stanford faced each other since the thrilling over time national semifinal game in 1997. With Purdue in the third game, it marked the first time 2002 Old Dominion faced the Boilermakers since it's upset over second-seeded and host Purdue in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2002.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TIME:It's not the post-season just yet, but already one Lady Monarch has been named to an all-tournament team. Senior guard T.J. Jordan averaged 13.3 points in games against #2/2 Connecticut, #4/4 Stanford, and #22/20 Purdue to earn a spot on the Paradise Jam All-Tournament Team. Jordan led Old Dominion in scoring with 13 against the Huskies and 17 points against the Boilermakers and also poured in 10 points versus the Cardinal.
NO PAIN, NO GAIN:Coming off a sprained ankle in the meeting with No. 2/2 Connecticut in the first game at the Paradise Jam, senior Megan Pym rebounded by collecting her first career double-double against No. 4/4 Stanford in the tournament. Pym poured in a career-tying 12 points along with 10 rebounds, on board shy of her career mark. It was also Pym's 100th game as a Lady Monarch.
TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER:Jen Nuzzo has always been regarded as one of the Lady Monarch leaders and it certainly showed against No. 4/4 Stanford in the second game at the Paradise Jam. Nuzzo, a junior point guard, set a new career mark with 14 points, also marking the first time in her career she led ODU in scoring. In the following game against Purdue, Nuzzo reached double figure scoring again, this time added in 10 points.
STARTING ON THE RIGHT FOOT:Old Dominion opened the season with three consecutive wins for the first time since the 1998-1999 season. That season the Lady Monarchs opened the year with five straight wins en-route to the Sweet 16. The five wins came against Marshall, No. 8/12 Teas Tech, No. 10 N.C. State, and Southern California and Southwest Missouri State in the Torneo Cancun de Basquetboll Tournament. The streak came to end in a setback to No.6/7 Alabama in the Wachovia Women's Classic.
WRITING HER NAME INTO HISTORY:Senior guard T.J. Jordan managed to find to more places to put her name in the Old Dominion record books in the Lady Monarchs' 80-59 victory over Charlotte. With a game-high 28 points, Jordan broke the ODU record for most points scored by a Lady Monarch at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. The previous record of 27 points was held by Max Nhassengo against Hofstra on Feb. 24, 2004. Additionally with her six three-pointers made, she became the ODU recorder holder for three-pointers made in a career, surpassing Aubrey Eblin's (1995-1999) former mark of 250. Jordan currently has 265 made shots from downtown in her career.
DISH IT TO ME:Junior guard Jazzmin Walters dished out a career-high 12 assists in ODU's 88-66 victory over East Carolina, while committing no turnovers. The 5-2 guard recorded five steals as well in the victory. Last season, Walters finished seventh on the sophomore assist leaders list with 100 dishes.
NO SOPHOMORE SLUMP:Jessica Canady shined in the first three Lady Monarch games of 2007-08 season debut. Against Middle Tennessee in the season and home opener, the lone ODU sophomore came off the bench and played a career-high 23 minutes. Netting a then career-high 13 points, she also added three steals and three blocks. Canady did not have to wait much longer to reset her career mark in points as she lead all scorers with 18 in ODU's victory at East Carolina. Returning home to host Charlotte, the second year Lady Monarch posted new career marks in steals (4) and minutes played (28). Against No. 4 Stanford, Canady reset her career mark in rebounds hauling in eight against the Cardinal. To date, she is averaging a team second-best 9.6 points per game.
MOVING ON UP:With 19 points against the Blue Raiders in the season opener against Middle Tennessee on Nov. 10, senior guard T.J. Jordan moved into 21st on the all-time Old Dominion scoring leaders list. With her 14 points against Penn State in a 77-49 victory Jordan surpassed the 1,200 point mark. She currently has 1,229 career points.
HOME COURT STREAK:The Lady Monarchs have won 14 straight home contests dating back to the Dec. 20, 2006, 72-55, victory over national runner-up Rutgers, ODU's last loss at the Ted Constant Convocation Center was against national champion Tennessee, 59-75, back on Dec. 22, 2006.
FREE POINTS:Old Dominion went to the line 35 times against Middle Tennessee in the season opener, sinking 27 shots and shooting 77.1 percent from the charity stripe. Two Lady Monarchs showed that working on free throws over the summer can certainly pay off. Junior Tiffany Green,who hit only 51 percent a year ago from the line, went 8-of-9 and senior Shahida Williams, who connected for just 49 percent last season, netted 5-of-6. Also sinking shots from the free throw line against the Blue Raiders was senior T.J. Jordan, who went 6-of-7.
REJECTED:The Old Dominion women's basketball team collected 12 blocks against Middle Tennessee on Nov. 10 to set a new team record at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. The previous record of 11 occurred against East Carolina on Nov. 21, 2006 and conference rival UNC-Wilmington on Feb. 24, 2005. Senior Shahida Williams and junior Tiffany Green led the rejections with four apiece. Williams set a new career mark in the block category while sophomore Jessica Canady tied her career mark with three swats.
IN THE POLLS:The 2007-08 Old Dominion women's basketball team received votes in the ESPN/USA Today Women's Basketball Preseason Poll and moved up to to receiving votes in both national polls following the first week of action. Old Dominion's last Top 25 ranking in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll was November 18th, 2003. Prior to the start of the season, Old Dominion's last appearance in the Associated Press Top 25 was the final poll of the 2002 season as the Lady Monarchs danced their way to the "Elite Eight".
RANK `EM UP - ESPN/USA TODAY POLL:The Lady Monarchs will be taking on six teams ranked among the nation's top 25 in the ESPN/USA Today Women's Basketball Preseason Poll. Among the teams the Lady Monarchs will take on include three teams in the poll's top ten in No. 1 Tennessee, No. 2 Connecticut, and No. 8 Stanford. Other upcoming Lady Monarch opponents include No. 17 Vanderbilt, No. 18 Michigan State, and No. 20 Purdue. Old Dominion opponents receiving votes in the preseason poll include Middle Tennessee, who will serve as the Lady Monarchs season and home opener on November 10th, as well as Kentucky.
RANK `EM UP - AP POLL:The Lady Monarchs will be taking on five teams ranked among the nation's top 25 in the Associated Press Women's Basketball Preseason Poll. Among the teams the Lady Monarchs will take on include three teams in the poll's top ten in No. 1 Tennessee, No. 2 Connecticut, and No. 7 Stanford. Other upcoming Lady Monarch opponents include No. 17 Michigan State and No. 23 Vanderbilt Old Dominion opponents receiving votes in the preseason poll include Middle Tennessee, Kentucky, and Purdue.
WELCOME TO THE TED:Since the doors opened at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in 2002, the Lady Monarchs have enjoyed a 68-12 record.
Ranked Wins At The Constant Center:
11/25/03 - #7 Penn State - W, 75-68
12/7/03- #12/13 UNC - W, 73-68
12/5/04- #16/19 Rutgers - W, 69-61
2/25/07 - #22/25 James Madison- W, 62-57
12/2/07 - #20/19 Michigan State - W, 79-73
Losses At The Constant Center:
11/22/02 - Virginia - L, 55-63
1/7/03- #5 Tennessee - L, 63-91
1/31/03- Rutgers - L, 59-67
3/22/03- Boston College (NCAA) - L, 72-73
1/2/05- #8 Tennessee- L, 58-68
1/9/05- Delaware - L, 70-73
11/20/05 - #1/2 Duke - L, 56-93
12/4/05- #19/20 Vanderbilt - L, 77-82
12/29/05 - #5 North Carolina - L, 80-88 (OT)
3/19/06- George Washington (NCAA) - L, 72-87
11/18/06 - #21/24 Kentucky - L, 55-69
12/22/05 - #5 Tennessee - L, 59-75
TOP WBB ATTENDANCE AT THE CONSTANT CENTER
1. Tennessee 1/7/03 - 7,758
2. Virginia 11/22/02 - 7,316
3. Tennessee 12/22/06 - 7,108
4. Tennessee 1/2/05 - 7,063
5. George Washington (NCAA) 3/19/06 - 6,847
6. Rutgers 1/31/03 - 6,384
SO WE MEET FOR THE FIRST TIME:The only team on the 2007-08 schedule the Lady Monarchs have never faced is Michigan State. The Spartan come to Norfolk on Dec. 2.
SO WE MEET AGAIN:The Lady Monarchs continue annual rivalries with Tennessee and Penn State while taking on Middle Tennessee, East Carolina, Delaware State, and Kentucky for the second straight season. It marks the third straight season ODU and Charlotte will meet on the hardwood while the Lady Monarchs return a game to Vanderbilt from the 2005-06 season.
THINK PINK:The annual HOOPS FOR A CURE game is slated for Feb. 10 against CAA rival William & Mary.
UP NEXT: Old Dominion travels to two more SEC opponents. The Lady Monarchs close out 2007 with a pair of road games - at Kentucky on Friday, December 28th and at No. 21/19 Vanderbilt on Sunday, December 30th. The game against the Wildcats will air on Fox Sports South and WSKY-4 in the Hampton Roads area.